Patriarch of Alexandria “We who have remained, do not abandon our churches”

With the venerable presence of the Primate of the Alexandrian Church, His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodore II, yesterday and today at the small but historic Church of St. Paraskevi in the Egyptian coastal city on the Mediterranean, Vespers and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in commemoration of the Great Martyr St. Paraskevi. His Beatitude was accompanied by His Eminence Ignatios, Metropolitan of Antananarivo and Northern Madagascar.

The Vespers and Divine Liturgy was concelebrated by the Chief Secretary of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, Archimandrite Nikodemos Totkas and the Priest of the Parish, Fr. Samy Medawar, while in the psalter was Archimandrite Fr. Pavlos Iosifides and many parishioners.

“Those who have remained in Alexandria, do not leave the Churches that our ancestors gave us in this blessed land of Egypt,” the Patriarch of Alexandria expressed with heart-felt conviction.

“Once, here in this Holy Church of Saint Paraskevi, hundreds of Egyptians stayed awake all night for the duration of this celebration…” said the Alexandrian Primate.

He spoke of the importance of this Holy Church, which brought many Alexandrians to light a candle in memory of the Saint who holds in her hands a palm branch, which is the symbol of immortality.

Patriarch Theodoros spoke to all in attendance about the history of the Church. A story which begins in 1937, during the tenure of Patriarch Nikolaos V, where it was rebuilt by the late and memorable Egyptian Cleopatra Zerbini.

Indeed, The Alexandrian Primate emphasized that here, in the adjoining house, he lived with his mother and Patriarch Parthenios when he served as a deacon in this historical Church. .

‘I wish all the Egyptians who have passed through this suburb and this historic Church, to rest assured, we have not abandoned Saint Paraskevi, we have not abandoned our Churches.’

At the same time, he addressed all Egyptians around the world and called on them to come to ‘Egypt, this blessed country, where he embraces them and waits for them to light their candle.’